News and Notes from Spartan Football

  News and Notes from Spartan Football  Today’s pro day for MSU football can have a big impact on a lot of young men and their future. I will be

 

Are you ready for some spring football? Photo courtesy of Bill Marklevits

 

News and Notes from Spartan Football

 

Today’s pro day for MSU football can have a big impact on a lot of young men and their future. I will be there and have the latest for Spartan Nation.

 

Charlie Gantt had a great combine. His stock is rising and I know of one team that wasn’t planning on coming today, that will nowbe there because of Charlie's performance at the combine.

 

One of the most popular people the NFL likes to speak to at MSU is Ken Mannie. He is brutally honest and blunt. NFL teams love and respect him and he could be leading an NFL team’s strength and conditioning right now. They trust him, and know he won't blow team on a player.

 

Because of how hard red shirt freshman FB Niko Palazeti has worked, TyQuan Hammock has moved back to LB. We said on signing day that Palazetti had all the tools to be one of the greatest FB’s in MSU history. Can’t wait to see him on the field.

 

It is often said that all it takes is one team to like you. Greg Jones stock has been struggling, but there are enough teams that are intrigued by him that watching him during the draft and were he is picked will be interesting to follow.

 

2012 recruiting is well underway. An interesting side note is how last season and a Big Ten Championship are getting the Spartans in play for a lot more players outside the state of Michigan and Ohio. I have no clue how that will play out, but for now it's interesting to watch.

 

If one of the left tackles doesn’t step up this spring and secure and take the LT spot, Fou Fonoti (an incoming junior college All American) will have the edge for the starters spot come fall. Similar to kicker last year, this spring someone has to step forward this spring and win it or it will be left wide open.

 

As spring approaches you know that an interesting story line will be Tony Lippett. He can play a lot of positions, but look for him at WR and CB. If he gets the nod at CB he has a great shot at beating out Johnny Adams. There is no doubt he will be in the rotation and could take Mark Dell’s WR spot. I love the OL, but I can’t wait to see all that Lippett does this spring. You know it is a big deal when so many of his teammates share the excitement of watching their teammate as well.

 

Steve Gardiner vs. Denicos Allen will be fun this spring. Gardiner is the young man Mark Dantonio compared to A.J. Hawk. The Spartans want to get faster and Allen has the edge there. You can also see some competition from the redshirt backers, and if no one takes the job (similar to the OL LT spot), an incoming freshman could get the nod.

 

Spartan Nation has written extensively about Mike Sadler. Aaron Bates was one of the greatest all time punters at MSU and a super kid. Sadler is equally as great of young man, but could be one of the best all time punters when his time at MSU is over.

It has been many years since MSU entered a spring with this much talent. Sure they lost some key seniors, but top to bottom and the incoming freshman class has MSU poised with depth, talent and experience. This is what MSU has waited for and now has. I can’t wait for spring ball to start. 

It will be great to see Dion Sims back on the field. He did what he had to do. Now it will be nice to see him back.